Fraczek letter: Budget surplus

Regarding Idaho budget surplus guest opinion, thank you, Thomas Albritton, for your Dec. 30 article. As a retired accountant, I am familiar with how government spending is allocated. Taxes are estimated for the future year and then are allocated to various departments. Once allocated, funds can’t be moved to pay for other expenses. Is this being done here in Idaho? Is there a list of products and services in the State Accounting Office that lists this? If the taxes we are paying are not being used to fund “Promised Services,” then the taxpayers are being overtaxed. If the taxpayers are being overtaxed, then we need to get our money back in the form of a “rebate.” The state government is like a giant Walmart where the taxpayer goes through the line, giving the cashier their assessed money/taxes and then walking out with an empty bag. Is this OK? Do we place our trust in our elected officials like children trusting a benevolent father hoping he will keep us all safe and sound, clothed, fed, housed and educated? Thank you for allowing me to express my views.

This story was originally published January 13, 2017 at 11:11 PM with the headline "Fraczek letter: Budget surplus."